What Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee said about the 3 candidates

Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee had rejected the Information Minister-nominee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Minister-nominee for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson; and Minister-nominee for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto for various reasons including untruths and insincere apologies.

According to the NDC MPs in a document sighted by GhanaWeb, Oppong-Nkrumah, the Ofoase Ayirebi MP who appeared before the Committee on February 18 as the Minister-nominee for Information was not the least candid with the committee on multiple infractions of the law leading to the Bank of Ghana’s revocation of the licence of Oval Microfinance – a company in which he was 83% majority shareholder.

He failed to admit ethical liability for the related party lending between Oval Microfinance and West Brownstone which also belongs to him. He also denied outstanding obligations to Oval Microfinance despite the BoG’s examination report establishing the contrary.

He peddled untruths under oath about the circumstances leading to investigative journalist Manasseh Azure relocating to South Africa with the assistance of the Media Foundation for West Africa when the journalist faced threats to his life.

The nominee was quite evasive on his association with MX24 TV which is owned and managed by his wife with other family members such as Kwabena Oppong-Nkrumah serving as shareholder/Trustee for the parent company of MX24 TV known as Black Volta Publications Limited incorporated recently on the 4th of April, 2017 when the nominee was serving as Deputy Minister for Information.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister-nominee, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who was vetted on the same day could not provide convincing grounds for the disgraceful shooting incident during the voter registration exercise in Kasoa on 20 July 2020 even though they acknowledge her belated apology for her recklessly dangerous conduct.

Furthermore, claims of an ongoing investigation by the Police did not come across as credible considering that there has been no update from the police more than 8 months after the unfortunate incident. Our checks also point to the fact that she has not provided any statement to the police as at yet.”

The nominee confirmed the identity of close associates who have unleashed a reign of terror on helpless political opponents in the pursuit of their narrow political ends.

The minister-designate displayed an alarmingly abysmal lack of knowledge of the sector she was nominated for, making her unfit for the portfolio and therefore untenable to secure the approval of members of the NDC caucus.

Regarding the Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Afriyie Akoto, the Committee indicated that he was untruthful under oath on the circumstances leading to the abrogation of the Fruit and Export Terminal Contract of 2015 by GPHA on his express instructions as contained in a letter dated 11 January 2021.

He was untruthful under oath about his directive ordering GPHA to issue a licence to Fruit Terminal Company Ltd and how his actions could lead to a US$50 million judgement debt.

The nominee was grossly insincere with the Appointments Committee on his special relationship with the Director of AMG Company Limited, Mr Ernest Appiah, and the latter’s control of fertilizer contracts awarded by the Ministry.

The minister-designate was particularly discourteous, downright condescending and offensively arrogant during his appearance at the committee which is not the kind of attitude expected of public servants.